There
are very few
people in this world who go out of their way to help people in need.
We are yet to realize that the “power of one” is not just a mere
saying because one person can actually make a huge difference. There
are so many people in this world, children, women and the elderly who
need help. All they ask for is a helping hand and all we need to do
is reach out.
Philanthropists
all over the world work towards the betterment of societies in need.
They work for the greater good. There
are charities which help the needy worldwide, many celebrities help
with raising money for various causes but seldom do we find regular
people, the ordinary man, involving themselves in selfless acts like
helping out the poor, not just monetarily but also by providing them
with a good education and helping them out of exploitation.
The
lack of education
for the girl child is something that should receive a great deal of
attention. Katie Meyler, age 30, a woman from Bernardsville is a
living example of how a ‘common person’, with the help of a few
genuinely interested people, can make a huge difference.
The
Power of One
Meyler,
who
had a disturbed past and troubled childhood, now runs her own
non-profit organisation, “The More than Me Foundation” with the
commitment to educate and empower young girls in Liberia who are at
risk of being sexually exploited. Meyler’s work has been
appreciated by many. She has been called:
“The
most passionate person we’ve ever met”- Bono’s ONE Foundation.
“Social
Media Role-Model”- at a UN sponsored Mashable event.
“Outstanding
Woman of the Year”- N.J. Commission on the Status of Women.
When
she was in the senior year of high school, Meyler got the chance of
going to Haiti. She
learned how to raise money, so that she could sponsor her trip. On
Haiti, Meyler said:
“In
Haiti, I was meeting people who didn't have clean drinking water, and
who were sleeping in their cars to stay warm. I
found out I wasn't really poor, and I became obsessed with people in
poor countries.”
Her
hard work paid off as she won a service scholarship award from the
former US president, Bill Clinton. This
helped her attend college. In 2006, when she was working for a relief
agency, she decided to visit Liberia, West Africa, to help out the
people there. About her choice of country, Meyler said:
“No
one chooses Liberia, Liberia chooses you. I got there after a brutal
revolution, with one in three women getting raped.”
In
Liberia
When
she was in the distressed country she found a lot about their state,
especially the
state of young girls. She said that the girls their wanted only one
thing:
“They
would answer by saying ‘I just want to go to school, I want an
education, that’s what I want more than anything.’”
She
put her heart and soul into working for the benefit of young girls in
Liberia. She started by getting them into school first. Currently,
her objective is to build a lot of school so that she can help
empower girls with education. Now, Meyler has the opportunity to win a
million dollars with which she will help develop the state of girls
in Liberia. She is now trying to win the American Giving Awards
competition and is seeking everyone’s help to reach her aim.
No comments:
Post a Comment